Guwahati, June 13: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday said that the nuclear energy has gained momentum globally in view of the increase of the crude oil prices.

She, however, cautiously avoided the issue of Indo-US nuke deal.

''To beat the inflation the country now has to look at the nuclear energy option.

The price of crude has already reached $ 130 to $140 per barrel and keeping this in mind we have to be dependent more on nuclear energy in future.

People must understand the need of the nuclear energy,'' said the UPA chairperson who attended a rally in Guwahati on Friday.

The rally was seen as a campaign for the next Lok Sabha election.

The UPA chairperson also justified the recent increase of the prices of petrol and diesel and said that the Government cannot do anything as it is a global phenomenon.

She argued that price rise is inevitable and said that with the prices of crude oil soaring in the international market, the Government had no other option but to increase the prices of petrol and diesel.

''The prices of kerosene have however remained unaffected.

In our neighbouring countries, the prices of fuel are higher than ours,'' she said.

The UPA chairperson also patted the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi led Assam Government for initiating 'historic and revolutionary' farmer friendly schemes like debt wavier and claimed that no other Government of the country in the past had taken such a farmer friendly step.

''I want to ask the NDA what are the steps they had taken for the upliftment of the poor farmers of the country,'' she asked.

''NDA criticizes the UPA Government on the issue of fuel price hike.

During the NDA regime, the international prices of crude oil per barrel were only $ 30 to $40.This has gone up to $ 130 to $ 140 per barrel now, so the increase of prices of petrol and diesels were inevitable,'' she justified.

Speaking on the occasion, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi set the stage for the upcoming Lok Sabha election and declared that his Government would increase the subsidy on farmers' loan from existing two percent to three percent on amount totalling to the tune of Rs 25,000 .

Gogoi further announced that the annual land revenue payable by farmers to Government will be reduced to Rs one per bigha from the existing Rs 5 per bigha.

Gogoi said that the State Government is going to revitalize the cooperative societies from where farmers can avail loans.

''We have even inked a MoU with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for revival of cooperative societies.

A sum of Rs 283 crore will be spent for this purpose,'' he said adding that the Assam Government will contribute Rs 93 Crore in this scheme.

"This would benefit the small and marginal farmers and strengthen the cooperatives," the Chief Minister added.

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